Wednesday, November 22nd

From the Tennova Healthcare Cleveland News Desk, here is your news for Wednesday, November 22nd, on Mix 104-1 and Talk 101-3 The Buzz.

From the Cleveland Daily Banner…

Though she would have loved to have seen more shoeboxes donated locally through the Operation Christmas Child program, Christy Williams said Monday evening that she knows each one of the boxes will put smiles on the faces of children who receive them.

The Operation Christmas Child collection, scheduled for Nov. 13-20, finished collecting shoeboxes for kids in impoverished countries Monday. Several of the days during the collection week were extremely busy with volunteers packing the shoeboxes into larger containers that will go toward distribution by Samaritan’s Purse.

Her husband, Stuart Williams, who was central dropoff coordinator for the project, said between 22,000 and 23,500 boxes were packed and ready to travel to Charlotte. He felt that this was a great total of donations for the year.

Christy Williams, who served as the logistics coordinator, said it would have been even more, but two of the larger churches were moved from the Cleveland district to Chattanooga. Regardless, those donations will be added to the donations from Cleveland, and many children will benefit.

Also from The Banner…

It’s evident Bradley County’s Emergency Medical Services cannot find adequate part-time help.

The Bradley County Commission’s Finance Committee, meeting in the Courthouse Annex Monday afternoon, approved an amendment to move $170,000 from the department’s part-time personnel budget line to the overtime line item.

Mayor D. Gary Davis emphasized that the need for the transfer is the result of unsatisfactory part-time help.

He said part-time employees have been unable to pick up the slack during crunch time, resulting in the need to have the department’s veterans fill in. This has resulted in excessive overtime payouts.

Commissioner Tom Crye asked if this transfer means EMA’s overtime line item has been exhausted, and was told that it has.

Davis said this $170,000 transfer “may, or may not” get EMA through the year.

From WRCB Channel 3…

A Salvation Army red kettle with about $200 dollars in donations inside was stolen in Chattanooga Tuesday.

The kettle was at the Food City near the corner of Lee Highway and Shallowford Road, and was stolen about 2:00pm by a man appeared to be donating. The bell ringer said the suspect got his wallet out to donate and then quickly grabbed the red kettle and jumped into the passenger side of a vehicle and sped off.  

According to Captain Nathan Jones, the red kettle probably had close to $200.00 in it.  He said it hurts his heart that someone would steal from The Salvation Army when they so willingly give assistance for free.

Kimberly George, the Salvation Army’s Director of Marketing, says this is the first time in her 20 years that she can remember a kettle being stolen.

The red kettles will be visible throughout the Tennessee Valley now through December 23 where folks can continue to donate. Some red kettles will have credit card donation options as well.

This has been your local and state news. You can get news anytime by visiting our website, mymix1041.com, powered by Pioneer Credit. From the Tennova Healthcare Cleveland News Desk, this is Jeremy Gault reporting.